The present invention will be described and illustrated as applied to a pallet or skid adapted to be moved by a fork lift truck from one position to a second position and which can be of substantially different heights or levels, thereby precluding ready placement and use of the fork lift truck, or wherein the skid or pallet or other article is in an area of difficult access and especially for devices such as fork lift trucks. Manifestly, the teachings of the invention and the mechanism are applicable for additional uses generally in the movement of an article or the like from one position to another.
Many manufacturing plants, etc., where deliveries are made by motor freight and rail car, do not have docks or platforms, thus making difficult or impractical free access to the trailer or freight car by a fork lift truck or other similar device. Frequently, this results in a situation where a deck or floor of the trailer, truck or freight car is, or may be, several feet above the ground or other working area on which the fork truck is operating. The present invention is operable to eliminate or decrease difficulties involved in, for example, a tractor-trailer delivery situation wherein the aforesaid difficulties can be encountered when having to unload skids or pallets of cargo, freight, etc.
Usually cargo is unloaded through a side or rear door and frequently this cargo is not within reach of the forks of a fork truck, such as being positioned at the door or tailgate, and therefore, the cargo must either be unloaded by hand or somehow moved to the doorway or tailgate so that it can be reached by the truck. This is usually accomplished by one or more people pushing a skidded load and sliding it along a floor. This brute approach works to a degree, depending upon the weight of the loaded skid, friction, etc., but frequently is unsafe to the operator or articles in, for example, causing hernias, crushed hands, damaged or lost loads, etc. In some instances this positioning of the skidded load near the door is done by lifting a hand truck up to the floor bed with a fork truck, provided there is space to accomplish this, and an area within the truck permits one to maneuver the hand truck. While this does reduce physical strain when unloading, there have been bodily injuries and cargo damage because of a hand truck becoming uncontrollable and cargo has been dumped, hand truck and all, right out the door.
Another, and a more common method, is to lash a rope or chain around the leg of a skid and then secure the other end to a fork truck which is then used to drag the load to the door where, after unsecuring the chain or rope, it can be picked up by the fork truck. It is not uncommon to have loads up to, for example, 3,000 pounds on a skid and this might cause considerable difficulties in attempting to unite a knot or disconnect a line after pulling such a load. Difficulties are also encountered in attaching or unattaching such a chain or rope. The problem is compounded where there are conditions of dense cargo packing or stacking and the cargo might even be loaded sidewall to sidewall, thereby precluding easy access. In such circumstances, it is not uncommon to utilize a large pry bar to inch a skid sufficiently to obtain access.
The present invention is devised to overcome the foregoing difficulties and to greatly facilitate movement, unloading, etc. of such loads either on skids or as separate articles. Manifestly, the present device substantially decreases the possibilities or likelihood of physical injury or damage to personnel or articles.
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide mechanism in the nature of an article moving attachment which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and greatly facilitates movement for unloading of merchandise or the like from difficult areas of accessibility. Manifestly, the mechanism can be utilized in different settings and for specifically different purposes.